activity. Later in 1945 the aerodrome became a satellite of No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF based at Middleton St. George flying de Havilland Mosquitoes. The station was closed in the summer of 1946. The following units were also here at some point: Detachment of No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (January 1943) No. 78 Conversion Flight (January – June 1942) No. 205 Advanced Flying School RAF (February 1951 & December 1952) 822 Naval Air Squadron No. 1516 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF (September – October 1942) Incidents On 22 March 1945, a Royal Canadian Air Force Lancaster aircraft was taking off from Croft when it was caught in a crosswind and blown off the runway where a punctured tyre led to it crashing and the port engine catching fire. The crew extricated themselves and as the incendiary bombs were exploding in the fire, the base and local residents were evacuated to shelter in a cutting of the nearby railway line. At 11:27 am, the blockbuster bomb on board the Lancaster exploded and took the roofs off of several buildings in the immediate vicinity. Current use The Croft aerodrome is now Croft Circuit, a venue for the British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship. See also List of former Royal Air Force stations References Citations Bibliography Todd, A. A. B. Pilgrimages of Grace: a history of Croft aerodrome. Alan Todd Associates, Durham, UK: 1993. . External links RAF Croft on RafWeb Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire Royal Air Force stations in County Durham Military history of North Yorkshire